AQUA: Biodiversity in the Oceans (2024) Board Game

AQUA: Biodiversity in the Oceans is a board game released in 2024 by Sidekick Games. Designed by Dan Halstad and Tristan Halstad, the game focuses on the theme of marine biodiversity in the oceans. With stunning artwork by Vincent Dutrait, players are immersed in a world of colorful sea creatures and underwater ecosystems.

Game Components of AQUA: Biodiversity in the Oceans

70 Coral Tiles

72 Small Animal Tiles

15 Large Animal Tiles

24 Ecosystem Tiles

1 Sea Snail Token

4 Hot Spot Tiles

1 Score Pad

Rules.

How To Setup AQUA: Biodiversity in the Oceans

To set up the game, each player starts with a random hotspot tile, which serves as their starting point. The ecosystems to be used are placed in a line on the table, with one small animal tile above each ecosystem. The large animal tiles are then placed above the ecosystems. The coral supply is set up, and a market of tiles equal to the number of players plus one is revealed. The Sea Snail token is used to determine the first player, who sets up the coral market each round.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Mechanics

Tile Placement: Players take turns selecting and placing coral tiles to build their reef.

Pattern Building: Forming hexagons of the same color to create habitats for small animals.

Variable Set-up: Each game features different ecosystem tiles and animal placements.

End Game Bonuses: Scoring points for reefs, small animals, large animals, and ecosystems.

Game Objective

Grow coral reefs by placing coral tiles.

Create habitats by forming hexagon shapes of the same color.

Establish biodiversity by attracting small and large marine animals.

Score points for reefs, small animals, large animals, and fulfilling ecosystem objectives.

The player with the highest score at the end of 17 rounds wins the game.

Player Experience

Players build their own ecosystem by adding coral tiles and attracting marine life. The game rewards biodiversity, encouraging players to create diverse habitats for various animals. Each turn involves three phases: growing coral, creating habitats and reefs, and establishing biodiversity. The game is relatively quick, lasting about 45 minutes, but it

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